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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

On Tuesday, the Al shabaab administration in southern Somalia's Kismayo town banned women from working — despite the imperative of providing for their families. Al shabab, the islamist insurgent group, has imposed a strict form of Sharia law over much of southern Somalia.

This is bad news not just for the women who are being oppressed by this, but for the Somalia economy in general. Giving women economic power is proven smart economics yet sexism has overridden both good ethics and good business strategy here. Here's hoping the town reverses this ridiculous ban soon.

3 comments:

It is so depressing, isn't it? Part of me feels so defeated when I come across this stuff.

And then the other part of me just keeps thinking that I have to keep going. Obviously, I cannot personally fix all of the patriarchal propaganda that goes on in the world, but I can do a little bit here, in my corner of the world.

...And maybe it will have a greater effect than I dare to imagine. Cheesy, I know... but, this stuff really angers/depresses me.

Feministified- I totally understand your reaction of anger/depression/defeat. However, like you said, all you can do is try to make a difference and hope our actions will make an impact. And, of course, call people on their shit when they play into the misogynist propoganda.

gaaaaaaaaaaaah this sucks on so many levels. Sharia law? Excuse me but the Koran has a whole section dedicated to women, how they should be treated and respected. Muhammad himself said women were important and should be treated as so. HE TOLD his followers that women have a right to voice their opinions and that those opinions should be taken into consideration and I know there are some women in Somalia who are furious at this. Just goes to show that just because you CLAIM to be devoted to your faith, doesn't mean you are. This is just a bunch of extremists shitting on their own religion and giving it a terrible name.Islam is a beautiful religion and they're just DESTROYING IT.